Question of the Day

Do you support a path to citizenship for Dreamers?

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Officials say a fire that caused $200,000 in damage to a house over Independence Day weekend was likely caused by remnants of used fireworks that had been thrown away.

The Shelby County Fire Department said Wednesday that investigators have sifted through fire debris at a 3,000-square-foot home in the Cordova suburb of Memphis.

Fire Marshal Jake Haley says investigators believe the fire was caused by fireworks embers that smoldered in a garbage can and “eventually caught the container on fire - spreading to the home and two vehicles in the driveway.”

No one was hurt in the blaze, but the family’s pet cat died in the fire.

The National Fire Protection Agency states that in 2011, fireworks caused an estimated 17,800 reported fires, including 1,200 total structure fires.

The Washington Times Comment Policy

The Washington Times is switching its third-party commenting system from Disqus to Spot.IM. You will need to either create an account with Spot.im or if you wish to use your Disqus account look under the Conversation for the link "Have a Disqus Account?". Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.